Sign of the Forgotten
by Sinbreaker
Summary: In a world after our long forgotten time, creatures have gained knowladge and power. Built homes, clans and lives for them all. But just like every other time before them, someone wants to rule it all. Two brothers, Lazureth and Litzu must now unite the surviving clans together to fight the darkness, And gain the power to change it all. Or everything shall fall again...
1. Beginning

_November 13, Year ####_

_They say you only live once. I don't know whether or not to believe in this or not. I surely hope there is something waiting for us after the end….. No, I know there is something, but I don't know what it is. The world has fallen into a range of chaos. Blazing summers, freezing winters, raging storms and violent winds, no one is sure exactly what is happening, someone issued they idea of gods fighting in the land overhead, and their war is dragging us in, to our end. _

_I can't complain much… I've had a simple life up until a great change, and I then found my true home. I just hate that it is coming to an end. Last summer, barley any heat, it was so cold I couldn't take a step outside, and now that winter has fallen, we are dying out. No one predicted it would end like this… surely they couldn't have. …_

_I can say with no doubt, that this will be my last entry. From my days to a welcoming world, to a cold end, I have lived through the chaos and order, and everything between. If someone manages to survive, know who we were… our mistakes, our secrets… don't fall like we did…. don't end up huddled for scraps of warmth that will never come… Don't die without a reason, look, feel, fight, live…_

_Words of warning to you all from,_

…..

Sea blue eyes read over the paper once again. He had read over this journal a thousand times, always hearing names of friends and family, but never knowing who exactly wrote it. Did it matter? Not at the very least. But it bugged him greatly.

Since he was little, he had always liked the library of his clan. Unlike others history meant a great deal to him, always has and always will. He can thank his father, Reynard for that.

The being closed the book ever so carefully, watching dust flutter out of the old yellow torn pages. The front was in however worse condition than the pages. What he believed to be once a shining shade of purple had lined the cover. The book itself was black which gave a echoing… no fearful tone to itself and the secrets it held. But what makes it differ a bit from the other journals and recordings of that time was the symbol on the front.

A red hourglass. Such confused him when he was little. For that was the mark of the Venomcalus clan, ones who use the skills of poison and venom to protect and hunt. Marked after a deadly spider that was long ago gone extinct.

But after years of reading through these things, he found they had nothing to do with the Venomcalus clan, or any clans for that matter. It seemed they were at constant war, one group… a group of unification of several species he believed they were known to be? Anyway, were at a constant war for freedom against someone evil. Never really bothered to research it. Why would he? These creatures of the past may have had better technology, but none seemed to have an _echo. _They were…as his elders call them… stupid useless prey.

He carefully slid the book over into a basket, and a rope and pulley system hauled the book away, back into storage. With so much time spent wondering about the world of the past, he was well equipped to be a teacher of some sorts to this time. Or maybe, if he understood enough he could be the successor to the Wisdom Elder. Highest role in the clan, but so hard to gain. He had wanted this, while his brother in all his roughness and courage … wanted to be the next General.

His brother and him looked so much alike, yet thought and acted so different. His pelt was a dark red, matching the color of crimson. His eyes were a deep sea blue, and that's how they have always been. His brother was the exact opposite, a polar opposite. Deep blue fur and crimson eyes. Their mother had been cherry blossom pink with grey stormy eyes, and their dad was black as night, with golden eyes that could leave a lasting impression. So how did he, Lazureth managed to look so different from his parents, yet be on the flipped switch of a color scale with his brother Litzu?

Lazureth glanced at a wall clock, ticking away slowly. In the shiny glass he could see his reflection. Strong mussels and broad shoulders. Just like his father Reynard. Somehow he had gained that, while his brother had nimble paws and long legs. Good for weaving and running. Something just like his mother Sakura had.

Lazureth, stretched out, letting his tail arch above his back. His whiskers twitched with the small vibrations the wind carried. Perfect time for flying home.

"Lazureth."

Lazureth looked up on a bookshelf to see a brown speckled owl looking back at him. Once the two made eye contact the owl soared down, leaving a brown trail of light behind it. When it reached the ground its form had changed into a brownish black and grey raccoon. Damien.

"Hello Damien." Lazureth greeted with a bow of his head. Damien returned the bow and then said "I have some news that might concern you." Damien had always been an old friend of Lazureth. Allowed him to sneak into the storage room to read the old books when he was little. If Damien was troubled about something, it was about his library.

"Oh? Really, what is it?"

"Where making room for new shipments for books. We have to remove some of the old ones and as much as it kills me, it has been selected that a few of the old journals are being removed. So I am glad that I caught you. Do you want them? For they have no use here anymore sadly."

Lazureth was a bit surprised by the caretaker of books. "Why are they removing them? They hold so much history!"

"Yes but hardly anyone can read them. Be glad that your father taught you the old world language. To you it may be an exciting tale, but to the rest of Dieco it's chicken scratch." Lazureth let a sigh escape him and said "It's a shame they are not valued more. I'll take them."

"Good Good!" Damien said with a cheerful chuckle. He turned and scampered up a bookshelf onto the top and said "I'll have them shipped to your house soon." He headed for a hole in the wall, but paused and said "And please, send Sakura my regards." Lazureth nodded as his friend disappeared into the nooks and crannies of the library.

Lazureth stretched once again and headed for the doorway. There was no door, only for safety reasons of new shifters who had trouble landing. Lazureth did at first. Almost fell out of the sky once.

The world today is separated by clans. Venomcalus, Shakenken, Dieco, Acadia, and Luporadus were small clans out of the many around the world they share. There are four large ones. Felidopolise, Celestial-Central, Galatifa, and Elsewhere. Elsewhere was where the evil are banished. Those who are forsaken and forgotten. Send into a forest that seemed to stretch forever.

That's what most believed but Lazureth knew more. His mother Sakura and father Reynard had been the current 'elders' or leaders of Dieco. Because of this they were given special information, not much but some about other clans. And Lazureth knew from them, that there was a fifth clan. Or at least a legend of it. Even in books they talked about a Valley ruled under one leader of darkness.

What made this place dangerous was the creatures there did not have an echo, yet where trapped in their own mix of power. Changing them into horrible, dangerous creatures. An echo is the ability to shift. It's also known as your life force that you leave behind to take the form of a new echo. But then again, the information was classified as myth.

Lazureth took a running start and leaped out the doorway. Below him was a long drop, but as gravity took place pulling him down, a stream of red soft light melted off his pelt and a moment later, instead of a falling cat, a bird took to the sky. A cardinal.

Lazureth rode the currents of winds, leaving the library behind him. And now, over the clan of Dieco. The houses were small, for Dieco was not a major attraction like the great four. (Counting Elsewhere as an actual place, not banishment) Dieco shipped out goods such as cloth, silk and thread. They were well, not at all a danger of gaining too much money. Everyone got what they needed, nothing more or nothing less. Such is Dieco.

Something flickered at the edge of Lazureth vision. Hanging low in the trees was a bird; carefully fling through the branches heading in one direction. Following Lazureth. If a bird could smile with a beak and all, he would of. His brother, a simple blue jay gave himself away. Now he was good at hiding, only showing himself meant one thing…

A race.

"Last one home is echoless!" Litzu shouted and took off. Lazureth let a laugh escape him as he quickly tailed his brother. Dogs, cats, raccoons and others below looked up and waved in some form to the well liked brothers as they raced by, twirling around one another.

But no matter how cunning Litzu was, or how observant Lazureth could be, they both failed to notice the trouble coming, just over the horizon.


	2. Evil Confusion

Litzu won. Just before Lazureth made it to the checkpoint, a large tree that marked their home, Litzu had used a powerful gust of wind to throw him ahead, using a hawk diving technique. Nearly crashed but still won.

Lazureth fluttered his wings and landed with his echo fading and all four paws on the ground again. Litzu did the same, letting out rolls of laughter.

"Dude I sailed right past you!"

"Yes…. Sadly I am the echoless one tonight."

Lazureth chuckled and pushed open a swinging door built into the up growing root of an old tree. Inside the smell of a well cooked dinner drove the brothers straight into the kitchen. Sakura, in her echoing raccoon form gathered up a few herbs and spices, throwing them into a slightly dented metal pot.

Lazureth chuckled and Litzu rolled his eyes. When he was little, he was convinced that the metal pot could protect him from anything…. Yah. Days of a little were gone. Those days, Reynard was still around.

"Home early?" Sakura asked, letting a yawn escape her. Lazureth stretched and said "Litzu wanted to race and-"

"And I won!" Litzu stated giving a smug look to his brother. Lazureth rolled his eyes and then asked "Mother, what is for dinner?"

"I thought we try something new. An old recipe that Cassia gave me."

"I don't like new foods." Litzu said and Lazureth had to agree. He had always liked his usual servings of meals.

"Well it's good to try something new-"

A horn. The sound of a horn went off in the not too far distance. Sakura paused and listened. One. Short terrible silence followed.

The horn went off again. Two. And again, three. One was simple, robbers, two was fire or other natural problem… three was a problem just concerning their mother. (and Father if he was still around)

Suddenly the horn went off again and Sakura dropped wooden bowls.

"Four? Must be a prank." Litzu said and looked to his mother to see if she agreed with the statement. Four meant nothing to Dieco… didn't it?"

"Mother?" Litzu called to Sakura, who seemed frozen in a state of fear. Her stormy grey eyes were watching the door, as if she expected for someone to come rushing in.

Suddenly Sakura leaped across the room, her echo fading and leaving her natural cat form. Her light colored fur shimmered in the dim light as she carefully moved boxes of old items that has been on the to do list of donating to other families.

"Mother what's going on?"

Sakura said not a word as the boxes were moved. She placed her paws on the wall and pushed forward with all her strength, making the wall slowly swing out as if it was a metal door.

Lazureth cast a worried glance to his brother, for neither had known about the door wall. Sakura at last turned to them and said "There is a bag downstairs with each of your names on it. Grab them, take the old sled and run the sand path as far west as you can.

"Mother what's going on?" Litzu repeated with a more fearful tone. Outside the three cats heard the sound of one of Dieco's cannons fire off. Someone was attacking.

"I feared this day would come. Your father, you both know that he was a great leader. He was strong and brave, and once a member of the council."

"Council?" Litzu asked and Lazureth gasped and asked "The High Council?" Sakura nodded and said "There is so much to explain and so little time. Both of you need to run far as you can, take the items with you. And head to Celestial-Central. Trust no one but each other until you see the council."

"Mother this is crazy!" Lazureth finally shouted hearing another cannon go off. "What is happening? Who is attacking us?"

"Effera. " Sakura said fearing the word from her own breath. She gave such a terrified look and said "Evil that has lost its innocents… its echo. You must run, if they find out who you are, they will kill you."

Death, never before had it sound so frightening to the brothers, not even when the news of their father's death at war. And now, their mother feared for their lives from something they did not know.

With a sudden shove, Sakura pushed both her sons into the darkness of the hidden room. She leaned forward and licked the top of their heads between their ears once and said "I love you both." It was not a sign of comfort… it was a goodbye.

Sakura pulled a small, almost not noticeable string from the door that snapped off, and the wall began to slowly move back into place, ever so slowly that it hurt to watch.

"Mom!" Litzu yelled and Lazureth in a desperate cry called "Come with us! Please! We don't know what to do without you!"

"Just run of Effera… and Shashya…run." She said slowly, a tear slipping down her cheek.

And then the door closed.

Lazureth and Litzu sat in total darkness…. No not total darkness. The cracks between the boards leaked in light. Lazureth knew he must turn and head into the darkness, follow the not to detailed instructions of his mother. But he couldn't move. He was too stunned.

The sound of wood splitting made him risk it by pressing his face against the cracks, peering into the house he knew so well. Litzu did the same, slowly looking under his brother.

Sakura had shifted into a raccoon form and swept the extra bowls away into hiding under the table, she was backed against the wall as two figures slipped into the room. What they were confused and frightened the brothers.

The looked like large... peacocks, sort of. They're supposed to be colorful feathers were falling out, and only shades of black and grey. They had long unnatural twisted legs, and a long neck that they had to bend over to fit inside the room. Their beady black eyes made it impossible to tell if they were looking forward or not.

Quit, almost unheard paw steps hit the wooden floor just after the two large unnatural birds came in. A cat or large fluffy cat with shade of brown fur came into the room. At least Lazureth and Litzu thought it was one of their own kind. But as it turned, they saw the face was twisted almost like it was forced through a grinder. The jaw was twisted, exposing unnatural large fangs. The ears where more like wolves than cats, the eyes where beady black like the peacocks only with red streaks following them. Two jagged small red horns jutted from the head, pointing back toward the rest of the creature. And long forked tongue, almost like a snake hung loosely out of its jaw. Other than that from behind the cat just looked really large and fluffy.

"Ah my dear Sakura." The monster of a cat spoke with a voice to match its twisted face. Sakura snarled and said "Why are you here Joker?"

"Joker?" Litzu whispered so softly containing a chuckle. A perfect name for a twisted face in his eyes. Lazureth sent him a piercing glare to remain quiet as one of the birds drew close to the door, its head twitching as it lowered down as if it was looking for bugs to eat off the ground.

"Well I can say it isn't for your wonderful meals." Joker said with a dry cruel laugh. He swiped his tail across the floor and said "All we came for is what is rightfully ours, the Copper Fire Gem."

"Copper Fire?" This time the words escaped Lazureth but only Litzu heard. His brother nodded and said "Talking like high on herbs over there…"

"I don't have it." Sakura said with a snarl at Joker. Joker's eyes took an unnatural change as they became slits and he asked "Is that so? I'll tell you something, Mistress doesn't like waiting, or being tricked. So let's put it this way… give us the Copper Fire Gem and the attack against Dieco ends."

Was this all for a rock? Lazureth wondered as he watched his mother's echo fade into something he never seen his mother change into. Large white fur, pointed ears and a long muzzle. Powerful mussels and long legs that of a wolf.

"Dieco is a small price to pay for keeping the world alive." Sakura said and without warning leaped at the nearest bird. It gawked in surprise lurching back, knocking its head against the ceiling. Sakura took the chance and bit down hard on the creature's long neck. No wound showed but he bird began squawking and flapping it's almost feather bare wings. The other bird moved forward, its beak tipped with metal as it pecked her shoulder, and the unnatural left leg twisted around scoring talons down her back.

Sakura twisted around and bit hard down on the bird's shoulder, and for the first time ever the brothers saw blood. It exploded out of the new wound and dripped out from the spaces between Sakura's teeth as she held her grip.

Lazureth's heart pounded. Blood… the color of his fur. The vital essence of a creature. It terrified him. Litzu was just the same, he shivered with fear, not able to look away.

Suddenly Sakura let out a cry of pain as Joker leaped forward and sank his twisted long fangs into her side. His paws waved in the air as one, just one super long claw slid out. He scored it down her side, deep as half the blade of a regular size sword. And no the brothers saw something else for the first time, their mother hurt.

"Mo-"

Lazureth's slammed his paw down on Litzu's mouth, cutting of his cry. Litzu shook with fear and Lazureth's felt his heart beating faster and faster to the point he thought it would just suddenly stop. Sakura growled as Joker suddenly leaped away, as the charging twin birds bellowed her over like she was nothing.

The birds, already being twice her size quickly pinned her down, and kept their beaks close to her face, ready to do serious… blinding damage. Joker let out a scornful laugh and said "Oh my dear… you do put up a… decent scuffle. Managed to hurt the pea brain lackeys but that's all. Now… where is the gem?"

"Far from here… Safe from the likes of you!"

Joker scowled and said "We will find it… we have two already. Five left…" Joker gave a nod to the two birds. The birds stood up and maneuvered a twisted leg around grasping Sakura by her shoulders. The two birds then began to hop away, dragging a bleeding Sakura behind them.

"You should run… because they will stop you." Sakura growled back and then added "They will kill you!" Joker said nothing, just watched her disappear into the flaming town.

It was for us. That's what Lazureth thought. A dreaded feeling came over him. His mother was a distraction for them to run, but they stayed and now…. Now what?

Joker looked around the house. His black eyes scanning the area round. His ears suddenly perked and he walked over the table. He ducked under and pulled out the extra bowls. He stared at them for a long moment and then his already ruined face twisted even more in hate.

"Radica!" he suddenly screamed. He turned and darted out of the house yelling "The Copper Fire Gem is on the move!" That was their unknown given signal.

Litzu and Lazureth had to go… now.


	3. Escape in the Dark

The dark has never been so terrifying to the brothers before. With unable to see what lies ahead, or even the ground beneath their paws, and now with Dieco on fire, this was truly terrifying.

Lazureth had taken lead into the darkness, using his whiskers and tail to check how high the ceiling was and how far apart the walls were spaced. His paw splashed into a small puddle of water that had leaked in over time. But he didn't care, all his mind was blank, and focused only on one word, run.

Litzu, had no trouble keeping up. The cave might be small in dark, but running through the dense forest was harder than this. The brothers continued on for a few more yards, until Lazureth felt the ground beneath him give away into nothing. And then, he started to fall...

Litzu shot forward and grabbed his brother's scruff and hauled him back, safely keeping him from dropping into the dark hole. Both their paws scrabbled against the cold stone to gain balance.

"Thanks." Lazureth said and let out a pant. Litzu shrugged even though he knew his brother could not see it and then said "What now? Those things could be coming after us at any moment… and we don't know how far this leads down, or if there even is another side…"

"Too dark to see…" Litzu added and then Lazureth backed up, and past his brother. He tensed up, and got ready. "What are you-" Litzu stared but Lazureth shot past and leaped forward, his echo fading off. A red glow washed over the dark tunnel and ahead was a wall so Lazureth, in the mist of changing forms aimed down and dropped into the darkness.

He changed into a bird, using the upcoming force to delay his fall, and the fading red glow gave off enough light to see what was below, a pool of water. Lazureth glided over it and found a tunnel, not much bigger than the size of a very young cat, not kitten, but still too small for Lazureth and his brother.

He landed on the stone and Litzu called "Brother?"

"I am fine… change into a bird and glide down. There is a pool of water at the bottom and a small cave facing the opposite direction of where you are now." Lazureth called back and waited. It was dark for a moment and then, blue light filled the cave.

Lazureth backed up as Litzu flew in, making a calm landing next to his brother. Litzu looked around the small tunnel and said "If we travel like birds through this, it will take hours! Hopping around without flying is a stupid idea!"

Lazureth agreed with his brother and thought to himself. His echoes ranged to what he could manage and what he knew. For him, he had cat, his true self. A cardinal, rabbit, dog and fox…

Lazureth gained speed going fast as he could, and let the echo light up the cave once more, and when it was done, his form had shifted into a rabbit. Quick, fast and small.

Blue light came behind him and Litzu joined his brother's example and changed into a rabbit as well. Both brothers gave a nod to one another and turned to go.

"Wait." Litzu said and perked his ears the best he could. "Do you here that?" He asked and Lazureth listened.

A thump, almost an even beat echoed very silently through the cave. Someone was in here with them.

…

Joker stood at the newly found entrance into the cave. Three creatures, a lot like dogs stood at the front. They had no eyes, but a mouth and nose. Ears were large and picked out even the tiniest of sounds. The end of their tails where tipped with a hard substance, a lot like their claws.

"Find them." Joker said and the three dog like creatures filed into the cave, silently and carefully following their prey.

….

Lazureth and Litzu were on the run, sprinting fast now. A few times they tripped over the cracks and bumps of the hidden path but terror made them run. They had no idea what was after them, nor did they want to know.

…

The dogs, quick on their light paws soon made it to the edge. One stepped forward sniffing the open air and said ever so softly "Long drop… I smell water at the bottom."

"Anything ahead?" One asked and the third barked softly and listened. He shook his head and said "Just a wall." Their ears twitched and one carefully leaned over the edge and said "The water ripples with sound, but it's not empty. Stones maybe…. yes sharp ones cover it. We fall then we die."

"There must be a cave at the bottom."

"If so it must lead somewhere. Otherwise the creatures would die from lack of food and warmth."

"Rabbits… I can smell them." The third said and the first smiled, showing long sharp fangs. He chuckled silently and said "There must be another way out… Let's go boys… it's rabbit season…" The three darkly laughed and turned, running back the way they came.


End file.
